Sucrose esters as natural surfactants in drug delivery systems--a mini-review

Sucrose esters (SEs) are widely used in the food and cosmetic industries and there has recently been great interest in their applicability in different pharmaceutical fields. They are natural and biodegradable excipients with well-known emulsifying and solubilizing behavior. Currently the most common pharmaceutical applications of SEs are for the enhancement of drug dissolution and drug absorption/permeation, and in controlled-release systems. Although the number of articles on SEs is continuously increasing, they have not yet been widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this review is to discuss and summarize some of the findings and applications of SEs in different areas of drug delivery. The article highlights the main properties of SEs and focuses on their use in pharmaceutical technology and on their regulatory and toxicological status.